Our Annual Picnic

President's Message

Hello to our website visitors. The San Diego Prowlers are now well into our 71st year. It is August and it's hot even in San Diego. This was our first Summer
since the early '70s that we haven't staged our annual

"Picnic and Ol' Timers Reunion". It really feels good to relax a little and have time to drive our hot rods and maybe even work on them a little.

As promised we are reinventing ourselves back into "doing whatever we want" for a change and leave the event planning to promoters who enjoy that stuff!

We are still the unchallenged "oldest hot rod club" continuously corrupting young men since 1947 so please dig in to our webpages and visit the hot rod club that
has been there the whole time. See the men, cars and their hobby from post WWII to the present that was the laboratory of power and style that helped shape today’s automobile.

News

Monte Hale - Active Prowler Member

Member # 112

Prowler of the year 2005, 06, 07

Treasurer 2008-2012

I'm Monte Hale, a Prowler on his second tour. I was introduced to the Prowlers by a very close friend named Larry Hunter, but didn't join until the late 60's. I joined the club with a
32 Model B Roadster which was originally built by Glenn Tuttle. I stayed in the club through the early 70's. Now, many years later, after remembering how much fun it was, and even more
importantly, remembering all the "brothers" and the tight knit clan we had, I decided to build another rod and try to join again.

I built a full-fendered '29 with the help of Lee Bright, and the support of many of the other Prowler brothers. I ran the '29 in primer for a number of years, and finally decided it was time
to finish it up so I could see about joining the club again. It was really great to be made to feel so welcome by everyone. And, at this point, I would like to say "thanks" to all the guys for
making this happen.

Now for a bit about my car. I picked up the '29 from Ron Wheeler when he had his shop in El Cajon. With the help and guidance of Lee Bright I got it to the way she sits today. We
changed a few things such as, adding suicide doors and making sure she sits nice and low, running with a 300 horse 350 Chevy, a 400 tranny, and Ford 9" with 350 gears. I built a one-piece
Carson style top that Armando upholstered, along with the interior of the car.

After running in primer for a number of years, I took the '29 in to Dalton and Sons in Santee, and they finished up the body work and painted it for me in what we call "Lee Bright Green" with gold
pearl. Finally, Mark Leuck put the finishing touches on it with pin-stripping.

I also have a '57 Chevy pickup with a big block Chevy, a 400 tranny and another Ford 9" with 3.0 gears. The '57 has a 1969 Caprice front clip, a power tilt front end, as well as power
everything else. Again, Armando finished the interior, and Bob Owens did the paint job in my garage. The color is 1970 Monte Carlo tan with gold pearl.

Now for the next project . . . I'm getting ready to start one more rod - - a '30 Sedan Delivery, which should keep me busy for quite awhile. See you on the street!

As you can tell this baby needs some TLC

Here you see I have the subframe going together.

Here are the steel topbows ready for a steel roof insert from a old donor station wagon.

Now the new roof is tacked in place. That is the easy part!

Now the hardware is in place to put in the "opera doors".

I have it rolled out of the shop for the first time to check it out (and sweep up)!